Join us today, April 8, in honor of Betty Heron’s 80th birthday for a day of digital action imploring Governor Wolf, Lt. Governor Fetterman, and PA legislators to use their power to free Betty and other aging and vulnerable people in PA prisons. For example: the Governor could use his reprieve power to release people, state lawmakers could pass an emergency law, Lt. Gov could expedite commutations.
Here’s how you can take part today:
SIGN OUR PETITION demanding the expedited release of aging and vulnerable people in PA prisons, and share it with your friends and family.
Like and share Let’s Get Free’s posts on social media to spread the word. Below are some sample tweets and graphics to post your own. Our social accounts are:
Call your state rep and let them know you care about aging and vulnurable people in prison. Ask them what they are doing about it! While you have them on the phone, tell them to freeze supervision fees and suspend drug and DNA testing until the pandemic ends. Everyone on parole in PA has to pay for what’s called a “supervision fee” and leaving the house for unnecessary tests puts everyone at risk.
Here are some sample tweets you can use:
Hey, @GovernorTomWolf: Will you use your reprieve powers to free Betty Heron & other aging ppl in PA prisons? There are over 1,200 people sentenced to life without parole in their 60’s and at risk for Covid-19 #LetGrandmaGo #ReleaseAgingPeopleFromPrison #EndDeathbyIncarceration
#ReleaseAgingPeopleInPrison! @FettermanLt, your track record shows your belief in meaningful commutation & that people can change. Will you find a way to free Betty Heron & other aging people in PA prisons who are now at heightened risk of COVID-19? #ExpediteCommutation
Today, Betty Heron turns 80. She’s served 38 yrs of a life sentence. Betty is not a risk to society but she’s at a great risk of COVID. @GovernorTomWolf, @FettermanLt, you have the power to do the right thing. Free Betty & other aging ppl in prison! #ReleaseAgingPeopleFromPrison
It is proven that access to higher education reduces crime and recidivism. There are currently hundreds of online college level courses free on the internet. Why can’t we figure out a way to get these courses into the prisons?
Let’s Get Smart is a small group of people supporting the ideas of Russell Maroon Shoatz, Brandon Moody and Bray Jibril Murray who are incarcerated at SCI-Dallas. We believe all people in prison deserve access to higher education regardless of college credit (although that would be nice). Our vision is based upon providing all people in prison including prisoners, correctional, custodial, probation and parole personnel access to 21st century education and training, which is easily accessible and affordable through Massive Open Online Courses (MOOC’s), offered by Harvard, MIT, Stanford and a plethora of other prestigious education and training institutions. Join us in bringing this vision to fruition!
Today we have sent letters to both Governor Wolf and Secretary John Wetzel urging them to support and implement these efforts. Below is our letter to the Governor. Scroll down to check out the amazing list of endorsers. If you would like to endorse please fill out this form
August 6, 2019
Dear Governor Wolf,
Thank you for voicing support for higher education “behind bars” in Pennsylvania’s prison at the recent pre-screening of the documentary “College Behind Bars”. It’s gratifying to know that both you and Secretary Wetzel are behind the idea of better-preparing those in prison for the day they will be returned to society. We are writing on behalf of a new campaign called Let’s Get Smart. We share similar ideas of education access and safe communities for people in prison. Our goal is to make college level courses available to all prisoners in the PA prison system.
The Bard program in New York State is certainly an impressive example of how to give prisoners access to post-secondary degrees. We believe that if there were more education in general regardless of class credit or the sentence of student, society both inside and outside of the prison would improve. Many long timers, those with LWOP sentences and “life by numbers” are often excluded from continuing education classes. These very people are often the mentors to many of the young prisoners. Is there not value in allowing them to further their education so that they may be better equipped to mentor? It is also well known that the lifers keep the peace in the prisons. Why not acknowledge this by creating more access to knowledge.
Did you know that Harvard & MIT founded an online platform that offers 1000’s of college- level courses online for free? These are known as MOOC (Massive Open Online Courses). PA’s own University of Pennsylvania offers MOOC
Our group is comprised of family members and volunteers who work with people in PA prisons. We have no doubt that there is plenty of interest and ability in our prison populations.
We believe there are innovative ways around a high cost, technology and internet access. The DOC could implement internet control. For example, a class facilitator would download the course onto a USB drive. The course would be approved by the DOC or facilities security. The class facilitator would show the course to approved students in a classroom setting using monitor. This way you can bypass the need for internet access. All it takes is the motivation to make these already free classes available to people who have a lot of time on their hands and desire to learn.
Whatever technological or security obstacles that may seem daunting can be overcome! We have seen the DOC make very fast and sweeping changes to the prison system. In order to keep the staff and prisoners safe you figured out a way to change the whole statewide mail system in one month! If there is a will, there is a way! And, many institutions set up firewalls to create limited and specific internet access.
But to speak to the point you made the night of the screening, isn’t this a smarter way to invest in the human potential currently languishing in our prisons? Mr. Cochran indicated that their program is funded by a combination of public and private resources. Maybe something similar can be managed in PA.
We would love to meet with you to discuss these ideas. Please connect with us.
Thank you for your time,
Sharon Shoatz, Sue Wooley and etta cetera
Campaign Coordinators
Endorsers
{Unless listed alone, organizations & institutions are listed for identification purposes.}
Sharif El-Mekki, The Center for Black Educator Development
Lisa B. Freeland, Federal Public Defender for the Western District of Pennsylvania
Jake Goodman, Executive Director, Opportunity Fund
Gabriel Rockhill, Associate Professor of Philosophy, Villanova University
Marie DiLeonardo, Division Manager of the Petey Greene Program
Five Mualimm-ak, President & CEO of The Incarcerated Nation
James Forman Jr., Yale Law School
Jared Ball, Professor of Communication Studies, Morgan State University
Katy Ryan, Professor of English, West Virginia University
Chris Taylor, Associate Professor, University of Chicago
Sandra Joy, Ph.D., LCSW, Professor Rowen University
Carl Redwood, Adjunct Professor, University of Pittsburgh School of Social Work.
Dov CB Chernomorets, Inside Out Facilitator
Danielle M. Wenner, PhD, Assistant Professor of Philosophy and Associate
Director, Center for Ethics & Policy, Carnegie Mellon University
Dan Berger, Associate Professor, University of Washington
Caitlin J. Taylor, Ph.D., La Salle University
Peter Odell Campbell, Assistant Professor of English, University of Pittsburgh
Alison Reed, Assistant Professor of English, Old Dominion University & Director, Humanities Behind Bars
Jasiri X, 1Hood Media
yvette shipman, MA
Priscilla Wahrhaftig
Benjamin Kline , Returning Citizen
Elaine Selan RN, MSN
Bekezela Mguni
Art For Justice
Black Unicorn Library and Archive Project
The Black Urban Gardeners and Farmers of Pittsburgh Co-op
